The SoapBoxers

The events that occurred in Aurora, Colorado, are still being unraveled. All that we know for certain is that a single man entered a theater showing the latest Batman movie, activated a tear gas canninster and proceeded to discharge firearms with the intent to kill. He killed and maimed many as they tried to escape. We also know that he booby trapped his apartment to kill and maim anyone who tried to enter.

Plenty of questions can and have been asked. Where and how did he get the guns and ammunition? How did he get police issue tear gas and a bullet proof vest? How did he get into the theater through an emergency exit? Of course the most important question is: why?

Over the weekend almost every news show had something on about the tragedy. After interviewing as many survivors who were willing to be on air, the line of politicians was brought out. I appreciate the respect that was shown to the survivors and the relatives of the victims. I wish I could comfort each of them. I hope that each of the injured recovers and that the victims relatives and the other survivors can recover as well.

I am disappointed that so many politicians see this as an opportunity to extend their personal agenda. Some came out wanting to drive more gun control. Others came forth with more obscure suggestions. The benefit of these discussions is that the police are being given a chance to properly and completely investigate this crime. I have great faith that when give a chance the police can complete their job.

When you start writing a story of any kind, you must consider the audience you are addressing. This involves age, education, cultural background and gender. Let’s consider each of these elements individually, taking into account basic dos and don’ts. The first consideration is age.

When considering age, even the words and sentence structure may be important. For younger readers, simple and repetitive is best but not the only way. Direct stories with lessons are received well. Relationships and expressions of love have to take the younger reader into account as well. Writing about a mother’s love or father’s is appropriate. Including displays of affection between the parental characters can also be appropriate. The fumbling expressions of love between others can almost require humor, unless that is the lesson of the work, that expressions of love can seem really strange to a young person. The Dr. Seuss series of books are the most obvious examples to look at for communicating with the youngest of readers

For teens and young adults, topic must appear significant and adult. This is especially true for expressions of love between young people. Most successful young adult books mirror the experience of the readers. Older people, especially parents, just do not understand the depth of their love and everything is life altering. The Twilight series was so successful because it met this formula.

As the audience age increases, stories can become more complex or more simple as the individual tastes of readers stratifies. Complex mysteries, investigations, histories or intrigues grabs attention, as well as the simple story of good over evil or social reconciliation. In these stories, the opportunity to address love interests in a more intimate form becomes a valid option. How explicit the story becomes will definitely limit the acceptability of the work across your readership.

The true art is spanning multiple if not all age groups. Even rather young readers, although they may not be able to read it themselves, love hearing more complex stories. The Grimm’s fairy tales and The Hobbit, Treasure Island, Around the World in 80 Days are just some examples of such complex stories that appeal to younger readers. They are also stories that young adults and even older readers enjoy. If we consider the handling of love and relationships in all of these works, we can see a consistent method. In all of these works, true affection is repaid with true affection except in the case of acknowledged evil. Abusing the affection of anyone is repaid with terrible consequences. Thwarted love due to evil is redeemed and the evil is punished.

This article focused on writing about relationships across various age groups. There are similar paths when evaluating gender, cultural background and education. For example, you would not want to target a religiously serious group with sexually explicit material. You also would not target teenage boys with a story about a mother tickling her baby’s toes. This may seem obvious, but it is always a good plan to read you work with your target audience in mind.

John Carter, Warlord of Mars (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I will admit up front that I did not see John Carter in the theater, I watched it on video. I had high expectations. I had read all of the John Carter stories, and they are the comic book type stories that were written to make into movies before there were movies. The technology has advanced to make the special effects believable and Disney as the studio meant that there would not be unnecessary violence or adult content.

I was disappointed. Things just happened, with little or no explanation. The scenery and non-human characters were wonderfully portrayed, but the development was lacking. Now this next comment is just a pet peeve, but every one was chained when captured, but no-one ever unlocked the chain. Instead they would cut the chain with a sword. Now does that make sense? I was also disappointed by the apparent copying of entire chunks from other movies. The most blatant was the arena battle which was a re-enactment of the arena battle from Star Wars Episode II.

They did develop the undying love between the two main characters. Their interaction kept the movie from being turned off before the climax. The actors and actresses themselves played their roles very well, especially the villain. The “others” who are trying to control the action fall into the standard trap of most action films. They explain their complicated plans and expose their weaknesses just prior to trying to kill the hero, resulting in his escape and victory. It completely eliminates the need for the hero to have a brain, which in this case he does not.

My recommendation is to wait until the video is in the discount pile if you really think you want to see this movie.

I will be taking a break from movie reviews for a while and return to writing about writing next week.
 

 

Brave (2012 film) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Pixar has created some of the most enjoyable children’s movies in recent years. They have taken over the role of their parent company Disney. The stories are generally tame enough for any age with some sophomoric humor for teens and adults. They also tend to have some scary part to be the focal point of the whole adventure. Brave is no exception.

The plot, although different, has the same basic elements as UP. The main character has a dream that will complete the life they are living. In UP, the main character finally meets the hero of his youth, but instead of fulfillment, he finds a mean, self-centered villain, whom he has to vanquish to save his young companion. Brave also takes on the fulfillment of a wish, this one granted by a witch. The challenge is how to recover from the consequences of your desire.

No want wants to cause harm to the ones that they love, but some action result in bad side effects. The lesson is: be careful what you wish for.

The graphics are spectacular. Each iteration of Pixar animation is a step forward in the art. The dialog insults most of the possible ethnic groups for the British isles; Pict, Scot, Norse and Irish all get their shots. The action is separated by enough gags and calm dialog to allow you to enjoy the movie and walk away refreshed rather than exhausted.

The voice actors and actresses are also excellent in this movie. The main character is a beautify red head teenage Irish girl. Her voice is enticing and rolls directly into the songs as the adventure unfolds.

Remember this is a child’s film. I recommend full price theater on this one. If you miss it, definitely a rental opportunity. Don’t let your younger kids watch this alone, there are scary parts.

Next week: John Carter
 

 

It is common knowledge that sequels are never as good as the original. Everyone will say that, but it is not actually true? The second Star Wars (for those of you under the age of 21, that would be Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back) was better than the first. So maybe we can say that third installments are always the worst. Men In Black 3 refutes that cultural surety. I would not say that it is better than the original, but it is at least better than its immediate predecessor.

The Men In Black series broke onto the movie scene 14 year ago. It was one of those movies that came directly from comic books. The art of special effects had matured enough to make the story entertaining and successful. Men In Black 2, although bringing back most of the original cast, failed to bring anything new to the table. The secondary and background characters knew too much, almost like they had watched the original movie.

Men In Black 3 avoided those pitfalls. The primary members of the cast (Smith and Jones) were retained. The addition of Emma Thompson to replace Rip Torn was outstanding (Ok, I just really like Emma Thompson). The story is more about the characters getting to know each other than just hunting down strange aliens.

There are strange aliens of course, and they are very important to the plot. There is a big nasty evil one, just like in the other movies, and he is the focus of the action, just like in the other movies. There are plenty of differences from the first two movies. The first movie was an introduction and a study of “J” as he entered the Men In Black organization. The second movie was the return of “K”. This movie is really an introduction of “K” and “J” to each other. In the other movies, there is a teacher and student. This latest installment is more of a partnership.

There is a lot of simulated violence; so it would not be appropriate for younger viewers. Teenagers will of course love it just as they flocked to the first two. Since there is time travel, there are plenty of historical play for viewers older than 40. I would say that this movie is good entertainment for most viewers of science fiction or action hero films. Although some theaters are presenting Men In Black 3 in 3-D, the film does not over use the technology and the effects do not really need it. I believe that this movie is worth a full price ticket, but if you miss it in the theaters, or don’t want to pay full price, it is definitely a discount theater or rental value.

Next week: Brave

It is summer time, which means that I am actually going out to see movies. I cannot say why I do not go to the movies very often during the winter months. It may be because I live in the Midwest, and all of the things that slow down in the winter just slow down the out of home entertainment. This is the first of several film reviews that I am going to undertake. I am not a true film critic. I do not read film critic reviews. In fact, I do not watch many films in theaters. I mostly go when my wife wants to go.

Snow White and the Huntsman

There have been may Snow White movies, the most famous being the Disney animated classic from 1937. For those of you who have read the “original” tale from the Grimms brothers, you will know that the cartoon is rather mild in comparison. The live action remake in 1997 with Julia Roberts is truer to the fairy tale. On those lines, the cartoon was for young Americans, the later movie was for teenagers. The original story was actually for small children, as were all of the Grimms tales, to provide a moral or warning.

The latest installment of Snow White movies is in theaters now; Snow White and the Huntsman. This movie has many attributes that appeal to the current generation of movie goers. The special effects are outstanding. They flow with the action and add rather than detract from the visual impact of the movie. There are several actors and actresses who are excellent including Charlize Theron and Chris Hemsworth.

The fairest of them all?

The story itself is well integrated, providing more detail as to why the queen would want Snow White dead. But this is where the positives end. The character of Snow White herself is far to militant and sure of herself. No offense to the actress Kristen Stewart, but she is not fairer than fair or more beautiful that the rest. Although moving the huntsman to being a huntsman rather than the executioner in the story is a good move, adding a brother of the queen to provide the chase mechanism adds little to the plat. The Dwarves are less comical than in previous version, but also only have a bit part. Rather than truly being the guys who stick their necks out to protect the fair lady, they are just the junior partners in a rather large contingent of support.

There is very little actual violence, due to the fantasy ingredient of the tale, which makes it acceptable for most kids (although some might have nightmares from the special effects). The target audience seems to be teenagers. I would not recommend paying full price at a theater, but a discount theater or video rental may be a good option.

Next week: Men in Black 3
 

Writing fantasy may be considered redundant. When an author creates an environment, all aspects are controlled. You can choose to limit that environment by historical reality or the geography of the earth, but it is still all imagination. The Fantasy genre specifically relates to either historically impossible conditions (say a Nazi regime in western United States at the end of WWII) or unknown location. Mars and the Moon have always provided locations with unlimited possibilities, even after successful exploration of those locations debunked most of the stories that have been written or are being published today.

Both the moon and Mars were used by Edgar Rice Burroughs in his Moon Men and John Carter’s Chronicles of Mars. He also invented places on earth, such as Lost World and The Land That Time Forgot. Burroughs is the epitome of the fantasy writer as he invented Tarzan, sent adventurers to the center of the earth, invented creatures, brought the dinosaurs back to life and even invented optional ways for evolution to work.

In my installment on series, I commented on George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones and J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. Both of these authors chose to invent completely new worlds as well as new inhabitants for those worlds. They are all of these authors are successful in the fantasy genre because of internal consistency, completeness and the ability to weave a grand story. But fantasy can also be short stories that grab your attention. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Richard Matheson’s I am Legend are good examples.

Fantasy can be graphic, but is separated from horror or by the story being about the “Fantastic” rather than the “Horrific”. Shelley’s story is a blend of fantasy and horror. Most of Matheson’s other works are more focused on horror or at least the bizarre rather than fantasy.

Reading these works and seeing how the stories are knitted together will help you in your drive to write better yourself. The fantasy world can come from any dream or even a different examination of the common world. There have been stories of abnormally small or large creatures and people. Just changing the color of something common to something uncommon can blossom into a complete idea.
 

 

This installment of discussions about types of writing and using examples of successful writer will focus on Autobiography. Autobiography should be the simplest form of writing, after all it is the author writing about him or herself. Who better than the author would know what happened and why? Actually almost anyone else is better at capturing real events. Every author writes with a bias. When writing about oneself, the intentions are always pure, the outcome always tainted by a preconceived notion of what is right. It is easy to see in someone else’s writing, but your own is the true.

Autobiographies usually depend on the success of the personality being captured. Some autobiographies define the author who would otherwise be unknown.  The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank is one such book. In ways, she avoids the narcissism that is rampant in books by/about politicians. Her youth makes the writing simple, almost as if she is righting a journal for school. That is also what makes it so compelling.

There are autobiographies about entertainers such as Born Standing Up by Steve Martin. This book is almost one of his routines with some insights (or distractions) from his real life. Ozzy Osbourne wrote (?) I am Ozzy. Not to be harsh, but this is not a life with a lot hidden from view. Chelsea Handler has released at least one book that can be considered autobiographical, although most of her books could fall in to the same category as Steve Martin, comedy with some real life.

Recently we have been bombarded with autobiographies from American politicians. Some of these are entrance pieces such as Dreams From my Father and The Audacity of Hope by Barak Obama, while others are exit pieces justifying actions such as My Life by Bill Clinton and Decision Points by George W. Bush. Although these books can be enlightening, they are usually tailored to a specific audience, primarily people who support the author with out additional explanations required.

The autobiographies that remain the most entertaining are written by the most entertaining people in history. Abraham Lincoln actually wrote three separate autobiographies. Benjamin Franklin also penned his own. My Life in France reveals how much more there was to Julia Childs than her cooking show on PBS. Some let you see just how hard life can be and how surprising it can be for someone to succeed. Frank McCourt wrote two books. The first, Angela’s Ashes, could be considered a biography of his mother, but paints a detailed picture of his own youth. He followed up the with Tis about himself as an adult in the United States. Both are very well written, at times you are compelled to talk to the characters to get them to avoid pitfalls and disaster, but to no avail. He is one of the authors who can report the good choices and bad with somewhat less excuse or justification than most.

This installment of discussions about types of writing and using examples from successful writers will focus on Historical Fiction. Fiction alone is far too broad of a topic and must be broken into several parts. Earlier, in the discussion of series, the focus was on fantasy fiction. Some of the works of historical fiction are also available in the series format.

Historical fiction is specifically stories built around historic epochs. This is different from period fiction, which occurs in but is also written by authors of that period. Examples of this would be Tolstoy with War and Peace or any of the Jane Austen novels. A better example of historical fiction would be Shogun by James Clavell. Published in the 1970’s, the story is about a pilot of a tall ship and his adventures in 19th century Japan. Obviously Clavell was not alive in the time period of his work, he used the historic evidence to build a framework around his story. The historic structure provided both unique opportunities and restrictions on his characters and plot.

He followed up with several more books that marched through time, not quite getting to the present. These works could be considered a series, as Clavell was comfortable in the epoch he chose to use, but the story is not continuous between the books. Tai-Pan and King Rat followed. Together with Shogun, they became television miniseries. In this way, Cavell’s works are similar to an even more famous book turned to mini-series, Roots by Alex Haley. [Editor’s note: here are links to the videos for Shogun, Tai-Pan, and King Rat.]

Roots is fascinating no just because of the story, but also because of the genre that it covers. It is biographical, autobiographical, historic, period, fiction and non-fiction all rolled into one. Haley moves easily between the genre as his story progresses. It is a simple story of a man searching for his roots to help define himself. The story progresses through each of his ancestors, until he get to himself searching for that beginning.  [Editor’s note: video link for Roots.]

One of the best historical fiction works comes from a man who spent most of his life studying the historical period in question, then filling in details that give you the feeling that you are actually there. This book, actually two books, are I Claudius and Claudius the God by Robert Graves. It is the story of the Emperor Tiberius Claudius (know as Claudius to differentiate him from his uncle the Emperor Tiberius). Claudius grew up under Augustus, his step grandfather, and survived the reigns of Tiberius and Caligula (his nephew) to become the emperor himself. He was lame, stammered and was considered an idiot by most historians, but he survived, became emperor and wrote more documents, histories, and books than any other roman emperor. It is written in the first person, and although all of the dialog and action are conjecture, all of the story fits within the known historical context.

This installment of writing like a professional will concentrate on biographies. Just as in other forms of writing, biographies have several types that are related. A good example of what could be described as a trans-generational biography is “The Arms of Krupp” by William Manchester. This book traces the life of a corporation through the several generations of the family who founded and ran it over close to 400 years. It is a true biography of the company with many mini-biographies of the individual players spread through the pages. What makes this particular biography so useful as a reference, is that it satisfies both the supporters and the critics of the subjects.

The Krupps were a family in the steel business. They made things from table wear to cannon. They typically supplied both sides of any European conflict with arms until World War II where the limited their efforts to supporting their native country, Germany. This book was embraced by the family as a magnificent testimony of the good that they had done over the centuries. People who wanted one of the last Krupps to be convicted and executed for his role in the Nazi regime also found what they wanted in this same work.

It could be said that Manchester had an easy time, since the people described had been historic figures in his lifetime and those that were not were very colorful. One of the leaders invented the precursor to post it notes by leaving messages on his engineer’s chairs overnight. One leader had his wife put into an insane asylum to hide his homosexual liaisons. The WWII leader convinced the Nuremberg tribunal that his senile father was the one who used the slave labor during the war. All of this is great fodder for writing the story. But Manchester had to do a lot of research to write the book and had to master story telling to be acceptable to both sides of a debate.

Biography is not just depicting a life. Biography is bringing that lifetime back to life for the reader. One of the more famous biographies is James Boswell’s “The Life of Samuel Johnson”. This subject could be very interesting as Samuel Johnson is a significant figure in the development of English as a literary language. Johnson provided one of the first dictionaries and wrote essays and critiques that high school students across America still read. This is an example of a contemporary (Bosworth and Johnson were friends) writing the biography. In this case, the lifetime is exposed with intimate details, private conversations and confessions of fears.

Biographies of famous people are of course the most common, and are usually written well after the life has passed. These works very often carry the personal message of the writer portrayed in the structure of the life being addressed. An easy example of this is Thomas Jefferson. If you call up Thomas Jefferson Biographies on Amazon, there is a list of 454 paper back, 309 hardcover and 29 Kindle versions available. These books have titles such as “The Jefferson Lies”, “Undaunted Courage”, “American Sphinx”, “American Emperor”, and “The Real Thomas Jefferson”. How many of these works actually portray Jefferson accurately is up to the reader and the writer to determine.

There is yet another type of biography to consider. Fictional biography could be the most colorful form of biography available to a writer. In this style, the writer invents the person without having the annoying real person and documentation mucking up the story. “Emma” by Jane Austin is a good example of such a technique. The writer creates everything about the subject, knows all and presents what is most important to the story. It is not political, it is not judgmental, although judgments and political views can be conveyed. This is the best venue to write and not have critics say “it was not that way”. In some ways, any work of fiction includes fictional biography, as the writer must develop characters so that the reader can accept them as real persons.